


I Never Wanna Be Like You

by SunshiiiiineSupernova



Category: Oasis (Band)
Genre: Brotherly Love, Brothers, Childhood Trauma, Childishness, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Happy Ending, Gen, Liam and Noel sibling love, Liam has a sweet tooth, Little Liam and Young Noely, Noel teases too much, Siblings, Tommy is horrible, chocolate penguins, crying and comforting siblings, mention of physical abuse of a child
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-07-10 14:07:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19906948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunshiiiiineSupernova/pseuds/SunshiiiiineSupernova
Summary: An argument between Liam and Noel prompts an early version of an As You Were song.





	I Never Wanna Be Like You

**Author's Note:**

> I meant this to be silly and light-hearted and less than 700 words. It's got darkness, trauma and is 1700 words. :/
> 
> Even the fictional versions of Liam and Noel won't behave for my stories. They are uncontrollable. 
> 
> Sorry for the sad bits, I promise if you stick around until the end, it does have a happy  
> ending. 
> 
> ** FYI: Penguins are a British biscuit. Peggy worked for McVities and Noel mentioned once somewhere that when he would bring lunch to school, he'd "have a ham sandwich, a cup of milk and like 60 penguins."

Peggy Gallagher is making dinner when the phone rings and she walks into the living room to answer it. The smell of ham and cabbage wafting up the stairs and into the tiny room shared by her two youngest sons. The delicious aroma of the food is making Liam hungry for something sweet.

Already told by his Mam that he wasn't allowed to have a penguin until after dinner, but Liam couldn't wait. Dinner won't be ready for so long and he's hungry right now. Noel is also aware of this rule, but he’s not home right now. Steathily, her youngest son opens their bedroom door and slips to the top of the stairs to lean his head towards the sitting room to make sure his Mam is still on the phone. 

“Ah, yes Pet. We’ll be able to visit once the boys are out of school in June,” she answered. 

Thankful for the diversion, Liam tip-toes behind the large overstuffed armchair and into the kitchen. Opening the cupboard door, the hungry little boy opened the biscuit tin and pulled out a chocolate penguin. He could feel his hand begin to sweat, the chocolate becoming softer as his chubby fingers held on for dear life to the forbidden treat. He raced back upstairs as noiselessly as he could, not breathing until he closed the door. Liam walked over to his own narrow bed, not glancing around to make sure that he was alone in the room. 

He sat on the bed and tore off the wrapper, a smile on his little face. He took a bite and closed his eyes, swirling the chocolate cream around his mouth. He opened up for another bite of the penguin, when a hand popped in front of his face and snatched the biscuit right out of his mouth!

“Ah! That’s mine,” he cried out loud. 

He turned around to face the biscuit thief – and there he was, his mean older brother Noel. An impossibly thick brow raised up at the younger siblings outburst, humour gleaming in his heavy lidded eyes. 

“Now, now _William_ ,” Noel said with a slight laugh and pompous sounding voice. He knew how much it angered the little boy at being called anything but Liam. “You know you aren’t supposed to have biscuits before dinner, they’ll ruin your appetite.” He spoke the last words in a perfect imitation of their Mam’s Irish lilt. 

Liam suddenly became unreasonably furious at being denied his treat and stamped his small foot on the older boys slightly larger one. 

“Ouch, you little shit!” Noel muttered, still holding the penguin aloft in one hand above his head while he fended off Liams’ repeated attacks with the other. 

Noel had of course been only joking with Liam and had planned to definitely (maybe) give the biscuit back to the little brat. **_Not_ anymore**. His foot _hurt_ and he was telling their Mam.

He grabbed Liam by the arm and leaned his face closer to his younger brother. “Stop it Liam! Behave.” Noels’ voice became stern and very authoritative (at least for a 12 year old). His younger brother stopped mid-flail and looked into Noels eyes. 

Noels bushy brows lowered over his eyes. “You need to calm down and not get so worked up over a fucking biscuit, ya eejit!”

Liam pouted. His large round eyes framed by a thousand black lashes. Normally Liams pouts worked on Noel and he’d be given what he wanted. _Not today_ , it seemed. 

“I’m going to tell Mam you sneaked a biscuit.” 

The little boy gasped, shocked that Noel was going to take it that far. “I’m not sorry I stomped your foot!” Liam really meant what he said. His older brother was being so unfair and cruel. He glanced once more at him, but saw “that” face on Noel: the stubborn look his big brother wore when he was annoyed with Liam. It wasn’t very often, for the two boys were close.

Liam stuck his tongue out fiercely at Noel, wishing he had the nerve to throw something at his big stupid head. Rolled eyes were the only response. Liam flopped his chubby body onto his stomach, his face in the pillow. His muffled scream was audible “I hate you Noel! You’re the worst brother ever!”

Silence followed. Then the soft snick of the door closing between them. 

Liam kicked his feet against the bed and beat his pillow in frustration. He hated being little. When he was grown, he’d buy nothing but biscuits and eat them all the time. 

“I never wanna be like him," Liam mumbled to himself. A lone tear slid down his cheek. He sat up and pulled out a piece of drawing paper and a pencil from their shared bedside table drawer. 

Sometimes when Liam was sad, he would draw pictures or just write words over and over, and not think at all. His stubby little fingers used the pencil to write:

Noel

no Noel

Noel

no Noel

Noel

Over and over again. He sighed and rested his chin on his left hand, his right hand continuing this unconscious conversation with his brother. 

Liam loved Noel so much. He was always there to make him a sandwich after school. Noel helped him stay warm on cold autumn days by giving Liam his own hat when the younger boy lost his or left it at home. Noel was there when their Dad was beating Paul or Mam. He would hold Liam close and kiss his head, whispering “It’s going to be OK, Liam.” Noel was even there to comfort Liam after their horrible father would drag Noel out of bed in the middle of the night to beat him. Noel would come back upstairs, hold back his own tears to hold Liam close in his bed and comfort his frightened and traumatized younger brother.

Liam remembered many things that Noel did for him, but was still angry about the biscuit. He was starving and dinner still wasn’t ready.

Liam hummed to himself and continued to write under all the “no Noels”:

Who are you?

No one, No one

They never wanna be like you

I never wanna be like you

I never wanna be like you

I never wanna be like you

I never wanna be like you

I never wanna be like you

I never…..

His lids felt heavy, so he put the pencil on the table. It rolled to the floor unnoticed as Liam curled up on his side. Eyes closed and mind drifting off, thick lashes cast a shadow on his pink cheeks as he dreamed.

Noel was downstairs trying to read. He wasn't going to tell Mam. He had only threatened it because he wanted a sincere apology from his little brother. But Liam seemed to feel no regret. Noel knew it were just a stupid biscuit, _but that was the whole point – it were just a stupid biscuit_.

He loved both his brothers, but was closer to little Liam even though they were five years apart. Liam helped comfort Noel after every beating his father doled out. His sensitive baby brother would crawl into Noels bed and nestle up to his body. Crying in sympathy of Noels pain. Crying the tears that Noel could no longer shed; he had turned off his feelings when he realized they didn’t prevent his father from pounding him. 

On those nights, Liams’ comfort meant everything to Noel. It made him feel loved and special. To know that the old fellas favourite child loved and adored **_him_** so much. All these thoughts and more rolled around in Noels head. He felt bad for taking the penguin from Liam. He’d just meant to tease the little boy. 

”Noel, dinner will be ready in a quarter of a hour,” their Mam said, her face peering around the corner. “Tell Liam and both of you wash up and set the table.”

She walked back into the kitchen and Noel got up and softly followed her. He peeked around the corner and padded to the cupboard while she was adding chopped potatoes to the stew pot. He reached the biscuit tin, one eye still on Peggys’ back as his fingers grasped a packet of biscuits and he darted back to the stairs before she turned around. 

He twisted the doorknob silenty and stepped inside the tiny bedroom. The lamp on their bedside table lit up Liams face. He reminded Noel of a round faced cherub in some religious painting. 

A smile touched his lips as he walked closer to his brothers bed, his hand poised to set the small packet on Liams side of the table, when a piece of paper caught his eye. Irritation with underlying hurt at his brothers words washed over him. He let that feeling go as he placed the biscuits on top of the paper and gently shook his little brothers shoulder. 

“It’s dinner time. C’mon Liam, wake up and wash your hands.” 

Liam groaned and looked up into Noels identically blue and thickly lashed eyes. “Ok, Noely.”

The older brother left the room as Liam stretched and sat up. Small fingers reached under the lampshade to turn it off when he noticed the packet of biscuits on top of his scribbling. He gasped as he tore into the wrapper, shoving the whole penguin into his mouth – no chances would be taken this time! He got up and ran to the toilet and saw Noel drying his hands. 

Liam raced over and wrapped his arms around Noels chest. He squeezed his big brother very tightly, expressing all his love in this action. 

“Hey, our kid! What are you doing? Wash your hands. Mam said we have to set the table.” 

Noel held his arms up as Liam pressed his face into his chest. Then he looked up at his brother.

“I love you Noely!” he exclaimed. 

Several chocolate crumbs were on his lips and a smear of cream on his left cheek. His older brother put a hand on his head and gently ruffled his hair and smiled down at him.

“Wash your face too, Liam. Ya don’t want Mam to know you’ve been eating biscuits before dinner.”


End file.
